Student Leadership
News from our Student Leaders
From our Year 12 Leadership Committee
Wow, what a start to 2021! Particularly for the Year 12’s, the last term and a half have been full of fun and productivity as we settle back into onsite learning. We started the year off with a bang, taking part in Wantirna’s annual Swimming Carnival (costumes and all!). This was then followed by our Year 12 Formal, which was also a great success. Thank you to the team of people who helped this night run smoothly, your work was extremely appreciated!
During our Explore classes every Wednesday, we have been working on developing ‘SMART’ goals that are relevant to our future pathways or school accomplishments. To support this, we heard from endurance athlete and motivational speaker Sean Bell, who is known for running 50 marathons in 50 days. He spoke with us about how we can be successful in our future endeavours, and the steps we need to be taking in order to do so.
Our Year 12 VCAL students have also been hard at work, currently completing their ‘Moving Out of Home’ unit. In addition to this, VCAL students have been focusing on team building and communication and will have the opportunity to visit an escape room in the upcoming weeks!
For the remainder of the term, our Year 12’s have lots to look forward to, including our Themed Dress Days and Athletics Carnival! In June, we will have the opportunity to participate in a Careers Expo, where we can collect information from Australian Universities, TAFE’s and employment providers in order to finalise pathways for 2022. We will also hear from presenters at VicRoads and the Red Frogs Schoolies Program, as well as sit our GAT exam on the 9th of June.
I look forward to the rest of the term and can’t wait to see what we as Year 12’s will achieve this year.
- Bek Fox - Year 12 Captain
From our SRC President
In the SRC in term 2, was planning for the themed dress day on the 18th of May. The theme for the themed dress day was dressing in your favourite teams’ sports colours. We were raising money for the World’s Greatest Shave which supports the Leukemia Foundation. There were students having their hair sprayed and we sold selling fairy floss during lunch time.
Also, this term, we did some brainstorming sessions and had discussions to come up with a tagline for the SRC.
I am proud to announce that the SRC tagline is: ‘For students, by students’.
We aim for all students to have a voice and to express their opinions openly and freely at the school. We welcome all students and look forward to seeing you at our next SRC meeting in Mason House on Monday.
- Olivia Bedford.
From our College Captains
Wow, we’re nearly halfway through Term 2!
This term the College Captains have been lucky enough to be involved in a few events around the school including the Anzac Day assembly, VIP and Information Nights and our captain lunches where we collaborate with both the Middle years and Later years teams to catch up with what’s happening in other areas of the school. It is really cool to hear what is going on and how the new system is working in other year levels.
As captains we have also been invited to the Knox Student Youth Leadership Forum - a series of 4 lunches where we meet up with the School Captains and Student Leaders of our neighbouring schools to discuss prominent issues in both our schools and societies. We had our first meeting last term which was led by Mr Kim Wells MP where we discussed student mental health, equality within schools, STEM programs, the range of subject selection choices and transport around the Knox area - all things we will continue to discuss on our next meeting later this month with Mr Nick Wakeling and representatives from HeadSpace Knox. These meetings are really eye opening and after the first one we realised how lucky we are at Wantirna College!
Overall, we have had a great, busy term so far and are looking forward to what is ahead.
From our Performing Arts Captains
So far this term, the Performing Arts Captains have been working towards a few projects. As a result of the interruptions last year, our goal as a team this year is to create a stronger sense of a Performing Arts community within the school. We wish to achieve this through our redecorating of the music portables as well as our planning of the 2021 Music Camp.
Currently the J1 and J2 rooms are bare and uninviting, this is not a desireable earning environment for the performing arts students at Wantirna College. To combat this, we are working as a team to make this space more vibrant and appropriate for music students. In regard to Music Camp, our objective is to ensure this experience is welcoming for all students, especially for students new to the music program. Our responsibility to run activities and engage with our peers on this three-day camp will ensure new friendships bloom, musical pieces developing and creating a lively and encouraging team. However, our focus has shifted for the next couple of weeks, because of the upcoming ensemble and solo showcases. Within these nights full of anticipation and nerves, we wish to highlight the array of talent and dedication that each student, no matter what ensemble, instrument or voice type they may be. Through these nights, we hope to demonstrate and celebrate the hard ethic that has surrounded the program so far this year.
Particularly, we are incredibly proud to represent the students who now have the chance to perform live, in front of a supportive local audience, rather than through their own laptop at home. Make sure to buy your tickets for the showcases; they sell out in the blink of an eye!!